Fragments of A Comet
by Zephyr W
Summary: An itch he couldn't scratch, its origin a mystery— this is what it felt like for 5 years. [Taki and the few moments he catches a glimpse of what he lost in Itomori.]
1. Chapter 1: Inked

**A/N:** It's been a long time since I wrote anything, so I hope it doesn't disappoint as much. I recently watched Kimi No Na Wa and the void it left me had to be filled...honestly I doubt that'll happen.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

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i.

 _For her._

That was what he muttered under his breath. Taki had no idea what he meant or why he said that. Although he tried his best to recall what he was doing a few moments ago, all he could do was sigh in defeat as he came up with nothing.

He looked up. The starlit sky left him breathless. Space and anything outside of his small world didn't really interest him, but for some reason he had to choke back tears. Taki thought he looked pathetic. Still, he found the purple tinted vastness surrounding him beautiful. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt uneasy, twitchy even. As he exhaled, he slowly opened his eyes. The stars were still there, the moon still watching. Yet he felt like the sky had just fallen. Taki was suffocating. He was waiting. For what; he may never know.

A cold breeze snapped him out of his reverie. He looked down to zip up his jacket when he realized he was holding a pen. Was he writing? On what? A single line of ink on both his hands answered his question. He examined it carefully. No matter what angle he looked at it from, they just looked like lines and nothing else.

Taki decided he was wasting his time trying to figure this out by himself. It was clearly getting late and he was exhausted. He gripped the pen in frustration and placed it in his pocket. Taki looked up at the sky one last time before proceeding down the mountain.

For some unknown reason, Taki couldn't let go of the pen.

ii.

Taki watched with pity in his eyes as Tsukasa struggled to wipe breadcrumbs off his cotton shirt. He stopped mindlessly scrolling through his phone once he noticed that across him was a more interesting form of entertainment.

"Please stop staring at me." Tsukasa deadpanned. His hands fell to his lap before he crossed his arms. Tsukasa was trying to look menacing, which Taki found amusing.

Taki smiled. "Do you need help with that?" He teased.

"You make fun of me trying to look clean after I helped you pack up this morning?" Tsukasa almost hissed.

That kept Taki's mouth shut. He was so tired this morning that he couldn't even pack his own things. It was almost midnight when Taki came back to the inn last night. He had a hard time climbing down the mountain with the little energy he had left which is why it took him so long. It didn't help when Tsukasa and Okudera pestered him with questions he couldn't answer. When they finally left him alone, the horrible feeling of trying to remember something he forgot gave him a restless night.

He looked out the train window and observed the blur of trees passing by. With half-closed eyes, he attempted to retrace his steps mentally.

 _A god's body, a comet, half-light..._

Taki felt Okudera watching him. He turned to her and was taken aback when he saw the concerned look on her face.

"Are you sure nothing bad happened to you up there?" She asked him for what seemed like the twentieth time.

Taki definitely wasn't sure of the events that happened while he was on the mountain. There was a gap in his memory he couldn't fill. For the sake of not worrying both his friends, he nodded. "I'm sure."

Okudera didn't look convinced. She opened her mouth to say something but kept quiet. She pursed her lips, visibly thinking if she should ask whatever it was on her mind. She eyed his wrist.

"Where's your braided cord?"

Taki looked down. He hadn't noticed that he wasn't wearing it. He lifted his backpack from the floor and placed it on his lap.

"I..." Taki trailed off. He rummaged through his bag but found nothing except for a few snacks, his wallet, and his sketches of Itomori. Like everything else that happened on this trip, he couldn't remember what happened to the cord. Taki felt a sense of dread when he realized he must have dropped it during last night's hike.

"I think I dropped it in Itomori." He said as he slumped into his seat.

"Do you want to go back for it?" Tsukasa suggested. "The train's going to arrive at the next stop in about 30 minutes. It's a long ride back but we can make it to Tokyo before noon."

Taki wanted to say yes. He wanted to feel at ease just once during this entire trip. He touched his wrist and frowned when he couldn't feel the familiar touch of woven thread. _Why? Why_ _did feel_ _so empty?_ It was only a bracelet.

"No," he finally answered. "It's not important."

He lied.

He looked away from Tsukasa to hide the unexplained pain in his eyes and stared at his shirt full of crumbs. Crumbs- he wished he had left crumbs to follow the messy path in his maze of memories. Taki felt like crying again. It was frustrating enough to not remember anything. To add more ache to his troubled state, he now carried a heavy feeling of loss. Deep down, in the crevices of his heart, he knew he lost something more than just memories and a piece of jewelry.

Taki looked inside his bag again. He searched with his hands despite knowing his effort would be fruitless. His gut told him he already lost the cord forever. Taki suddenly stopped. He let out a breathy sigh as he felt the familiar shape between his fingers.

Tsukasa and Okudera looked at him. "Taki?" Okudera called out softly.

The two concerned friends had a look of confusion and mild interest as Taki took out a pen.

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 **A/N:** I know, author notes suck when it's an intro and also an ending. I just wanted to say I meant for this to be a one-shot since I don't think I'm disciplined enough to write multiple chapters. I realized it would be a very long one-shot and no one wants that. Anyway, tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2: Pitter-patter

iii.

Taki watched his breath as it met the cold Tokyo air. It reminded him of the rising steam from hot mountain springs where he'd rather be. It hadn't snowed yet, but it was cold enough for his face to feel numb. He only dared to move his lips, thinking his face might shatter into pieces if he moved an inch of muscle.

Taki took a deep breath and exhaled. He counted the seconds before his breath vanished into thin air.

One, two, three...

He groaned and dropped his head. He had been waiting under a park shed for Tsukasa and Shinta for what seemed like hours. There was a mock job fair nearby which they planned to go to. Considering it's their last year of high school, Shinta thought it might help them decide what they wanted to do for their future. As for Taki, he just wanted to get more experience to prepare himself before going into architecture. After all, he has bigger plans than working shifts at Il Giardino Delle Parole.

The familiar rhythmic beat of the rain broke Taki's train of thought. He retreated further into the shed and leaned against the wall. He sighed into his cold hands. If he had known it would rain, he would've brought an umbrella or a raincoat. In hindsight, he should've waited inside a building than in a thinly-roofed shed.

He watched as people ran past the shed, taking mental notes of people who either protected their bag or used it as a temporary cover. Some even stopped to squeeze their soaked clothes. He smiled back at those who greeted him as they ran in. Not long after, the shed was filled with about 10 people—Taki didn't bother to count—and seemed tightly packed.

The air smelled of wet grass. It reminded Taki of Itomori, a memory he would rather not revisit. He couldn't call it a bad one, and it certainly didn't feel like a good one at all. The memory just left him with a heavy feeling he couldn't put into words even if he tried to. Taki scratched his head, frustration building up not only with the long wait but also with his inner struggles. Emotional stress and academic pressure were the two core ingredients of this year's predicament.

Fortunately, the rain didn't last long. As soon as it turned into a drizzle, the shed became less populated. Taki checked his phone, sighing when he saw the usual "almost there" and "not yet on the train" messages. He placed it back in his pocket and straightened up. After the rain completely stops, he decided he would go on to the venue, whether his friends showed up or not.

He took small steps at first. The drizzle still hasn't stopped, and it would be bad if it started to rain heavily again when he's walked far from the shed. Just to entertain himself while waiting, he counted how many steps it took to get out of the shed.

One, two, three…

Someone passed by in front of him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. A cold shiver went through him, starting from his shoulders to his toes. Yet, he felt a warm sensation bloom from his chest. His whole body froze, but his eyes followed the red cord tied neatly into a ribbon at the top of the girl's head.

 _A girl, a god's body, a comet, half-light..._

She was briskly walking, clutching her bag tightly to her chest. Her soaked sneakers squeaked with every step she took. Her dark hair, although heavy with rainwater, swayed left and right with her movements.

Taki stepped out. He stared at her retreating figure. A strong urge to run after her came over him. But why? Who was that? What would he even say to her?

"Oh, what the hell." He muttered to himself.

He tried to match her pace and walked in long strides. She was only a few feet away in front of him. The puddles he would normally walk around on became an insignificant obstacle between him and whatever he would find once he talks to her. It's been so long; he was tired of searching, of longing. The empty days he had to go through, feeling unsatisfied no matter how hard he tried to be truly fulfilled.

A heavy rain suddenly poured down. Taki cursed when he saw the girl run in panic. He started to run after her, hoping she wasn't faster than he is. The rainfall made it hard for him to see. After a few seconds, he could barely see her.

"No," Taki yelled in between breaths. "Wait!"

He was out of the park and in the concrete forest of the city. In front of him was a pedestrian walk, to his left was a sidewalk, and to his right was a row of shops. An ocean of umbrellas was all he could see. He turned to every direction and found no sign of the familiar braided cord.

Taki rubbed his face with both hands. He couldn't tell if it was tears or rainwater all over his face. He was so close. She was just there, in front of him. If he didn't hesitate for a few seconds, he would have caught up with her. If he wasn't wearing a heavy jacket, he would have run faster. If he wasn't—

Taki dropped his head and sighed. It was back, the emptiness, the feeling of loss. It all came crashing down on him with the rain. The rush of the events a few moments ago faded into the air. Taki thought he was being too dramatic, running after a stranger just because he felt like it.

The chaotic orchestra of the cars and the rushed steps of civilians reminded Taki where he was. He quickly apologized to anyone who had to slow down to walk around him. He ran back to the park entrance and caught his breath. He ran his hands through his hair and let out an exasperated sigh. So much has happened before the mock job fair he had to go to today.

As he took off his coat to prevent himself from catching a cold, he looked up at the clear sky. The rain had completely stopped, and Taki realized it wasn't rainwater but tears streaming down his face.

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 **A/N:** Thanks for reading! I had a hard time finishing this chapter because I didn't know how to end a chase :( Was it too short? Hopefully how I wrote it is fine. I'm also a bit worried that the emotions didn't hit hard enough. Please tell me what you think :)


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